The admiralty ball anniversary movie
by Nordique1
Summary: Will Riker gets an advance copy of a Starfleet movie recapping the last fifty years of the Admiralty balls. A certain Captain and Doctor feature prominently. Will organizes a movie night.
1. Chapter 1

This takes place some months after "All Good Things." One shot. Riker gets an advance copy of a Starfleet Admiralty Ball Anniversary movie where a certain Captain and Doctor appear a few times. He organizes a movie night.

Borrowed from CBS and Paramount.

* * *

Beverly was late. She was rushing to Will's quarters for what was standing for poker night this week. Will had informed them of the change of plan after the senior staff meeting that morning. The announcement had been accompanied by one of his trademark smile. Will was never to be trusted when he had that certain look on his face. The only information he had volunteered was that a movie was involved. Even Jean-Luc had agreed to attend. A choice unheard of just a few short months ago, but since his last encounter with Q, Jean-Luc had eased up a bit around the senior staff. It was a side of Jean-Luc Picard Beverly had not seen in over fifteen years.

Will answered the door chime: "Come on in Bev. Everybody's here. We were just waiting for you."

Beverly looked around. All the seats were taken so she sat on the floor, leaning back on the couch already occupied by the Captain. Will asked if she wanted a drink

Beverly turned to Jean-Luc: "Did you bring something?"

He nodded in the affirmative. "I'll have a glass of whatever the Captain brought."

Deanna could not stop herself from teasing. : "Quite trusting of you Beverly."

"No. Not really. I know that whatever he brought is the real thing, not any of that fake synthenol stuff."

With a smile in his voice, Jean-Luc spoke up for the first time: "Now now, Doctor. Not something we should hear from the CMO."

She lifted her glass of wine in a small salute: "Well this CMO just finished a twelve hour shift which included Reg Barckley, so a glass of real wine is exactly what is needed my dear Captain. I think that man should be banned from accessing medical databases."

Jean-Luc could not prevent the small feeling of pleasure the familiar phrase always elicited in him. Nobody else but her would ever dare call him: _her dear Captain_. She had been using the phrase for years of course, but always in private. In the last few months, since Kesprytt, things had changed. She occasionally said it in small private gatherings like this. While it never failed to embarrass him; a fact he hoped he was hiding from the others, it also had become one of the few small guilty pleasures he allowed himself.

Riker had finally finished refilling everybody's glass and sat down as he introduced the movie.

"A friend of mine works in the recruiting department at Starfleet HQ. They are producing a number of short movies on the history of Starfleet. This one hasn't been released yet. It's a recap of the last fifty years of the Admiralty ball." As he finished his sentence he shot an innocent look at the Captain and Beverly.

While this kind of entertainment was not his cup of tea, Jean-Luc found himself relaxing as he saw familiar faces from his youth: his first captain, Dr. Mccoy, Ambassador Sarek. He worried about the more recent years; he could only hope that the movies made of his few appearances had been lost. His hopes were quickly dashed as the room exploded in comments and laughter.

"Quick Will, pause the movie."

"Oh my goodness, will you look at those two."

And the familiar: "Look at all that hair."

Up there on the big screen was a very young Beverly Crusher on the arm of a much younger Captain Picard. Deanna braced herself for the hurricane the image was sure to elicit in both the Doctor and the Captain. Storms of sadness, guilt and blame usually accompany the few rare times either of them ever mention those long ago years. But tonight, it was not a storm that raged between the two old friends, but a light deeply caring refreshing breeze.

A small smile came on Beverly's lips and she could not stop herself from looking up to Jean-Luc and ask softly. "Do you remember that night?"

"How could I forget?"

In the meantime, Data had spent the last few seconds looking at young Beverly on the screen and comparing her to the Beverly of today. A puzzled look came on his face.

"I am sorry Doctor, but I cannot help but notice that there seems to be a 13.8% difference in the size of your breasts. Have you…"

He never got to finish his sentence as the whole room erupted: "Data!"

After all the laughter died down, Beverly finally got a chance to explain: "Wesley was only six months old when that video was taken Data. I was still nursing him." She blushed as she looked at the very prominent breasts of her younger self. "I went to that ball on a very short notice. I didn't get the chance to go shopping and had to use a pre-pregnancy dress. I never realized it was so…revealing."

Will Riker could not stop himself: "Yummy Mummy Beverly." He was quickly admonished by Deanna as she gave him a friendly slap on the head. "Will…..."

Intrigued by the image on the screen Deanna turned to her Captain: "Your First Officer's wife as your escort Sir?"

Both Beverly and Jean-Luc immediately looked at each other and smiled at the shared memory. Neither was forthcoming and stayed silent. After a minute of good natured ribbing Jean-Luc finally relented. He looked to Beverly: "Since you will get so much more enjoyment out of the tale than I, you might as well regale them Doctor."

Beverly played up the anticipation by taking a sip of wine first.

"Well it all started earlier that day when Alicia found our dear Captain in bed with Brianna." She stopped and looked up teasingly at him: "Or was it Brianna who found you in bed with Alicia? There were so many of them, that I forget now."

Jean-Luc suffered more teasing with class as he answered: "Alicia was supposed to be my escort that night. She showed up at my quarters much earlier than expected. Unfortunately another friend, Brianna, was there."

Beverly muttered under her breath: "Friend. Yeah. Sure."

Jean-Luc continued: "Alicia's reaction, needless to say, was…..unpleasant."

"I'll say." Muttered Beverly as she lost herself in the memory….

_It was early afternoon and Jack and Beverly were lying in their bed, hot and sweaty, trying to catch their breath. Jack turned to look at his wife with a smile on his face._

"_Do you think we'll be able to go at it like this when we're sixty?"_

_Teasing Jack was always so easy: "I will. I may have to write you a prescription so you can keep up though."_

_With a devilish look, Jack turned to his wife. "We'll see who can't keep up…"_

_He was interrupted by the doorbell. "Damm it. Who can that be? Didn't we tell everybody we were out of town this week-end?" He waited for a few seconds. "Maybe if we ignore it, they'll go away?" He gave up after the fifth chime. _

"_Don't move. I'll get rid of whoever this is right away."_

_Beverly laid back with a smile and stretched out. Sex in the afternoon was always so much fun. With Wesley at a friend's house for the day, they'd been able to indulge. Jack quickly put on some pants and went to open the door. A shocked look came on his face. "Jean-Luc! What the hell happened to you?" _

_There stood his Captain. He had scratches all over his neck and face, and blood all over his shirt. In a second, Jack saw his afternoon of fun disappear. He took a long breath and shouted back to Beverly. "Hey Bev. It's Jean-Luc. You might as well come out. And bring your medkit."_

_Jack motioned for Jean-Luc to come in. In the bedroom, Beverly quickly got dressed; frustrated at the thought of her indulgent afternoon being ruined. She came out to the living room and shook her head at the state of her husband's Captain. She motioned for him to sit on one of the kitchen's stool. The scratches were deep, long and disappeared under his shirt._

"_Take off that shirt." She ordered as she opened the medkit. She stepped close to Jean-Luc as she started to treat his injuries. Jean-Luc looked at his friend's wife. Her flushed face coupled with Jack's state of undress made very obvious what his impromptu visit had interrupted._

_Jack went and got dressed leaving his wife and Captain alone. Jean-Luc turned his head, trying to avoid having to look directly at Jack's wife. Beverly immediately put one of her hand on his chin and turned his head back to face her. Maybe going to Starfleet medical would have been preferable. Standing this close to her, knowing what he had just interrupted was causing unwanted effects on him. Hopefully she wouldn't take any tricorder readings because he was sure his would betray him._

"_Stop moving when I treat you or this will leave a scar." A teasing smile came on her face. "So tell me Jean-Luc, how did you get those scratches?" Her eyes sparkled as she continued: "A kitten perhaps?" _

_Before Jean-Luc could answer Jack came back into the kitchen and poured them all a drink. "So Jean-Luc, would you care to explain why you had to get my wife to treat you?"_

_Beverly laughed softly: "I would imagine your dear Captain wanted to avoid having to explain to Medical how he received his injuries." She raised her eyebrow to Jean-Luc again. "That doesn't mean I'll let you get away without telling us Jean-Luc. Come on, spill it."_

_Jean-Luc decided to get a small amount of revenge back. He looked directly into Beverly's eyes as he explained._

"_Brianna and I were indulging in the same thing the two of you were enjoying a moment ago when we were interrupted by Alicia."_

_Jack did not notice the blush that came on his wife's face as he hit his friend on the back. "Johnny, you old dog you. When will you ever learn? I take it Alicia was not impressed?"_

_A rueful smile came to Jean-Luc's face: "Needless to say….."_

_Beverly took a measured look at his face and declared him healed. She left the two friends together while she went to put the medkit away. She returned a few moments later to find them both sporting a guilty look._

"_Jean-Luc has another favour to ask of you Beverly"_

_She sat down on the chair across from the two men and waited. She lost patience after a few seconds of silence. "Well, what, Jean-Luc?"_

_The Captain shifted on the couch for a moment before replying: "Well, Alicia was supposed to be my escort to the Admiralty ball tonight. But after what happened…"_

"_Yes. I can see your problem. How about your other…. hmmm friend? "_

"_I don't think it would be wise to take Brianna to the ball."_

"_Too many tattoos perhaps?" teased Beverly._

"_Something like that."_

_Beverly hesitated. She had planned this day with Jack months ago, but Jean-Luc was a friend. Jack pleaded: "Bev please… Jean-Luc is in a bind."_

_Beverly protested: "But this was supposed to be our day."_

_Jack got up and hugged her: "I know, but Jean-Luc needs some help here." He then whispered in her ear. "I'll make it up to you I promise." A devilish look came on his face. "You know that thing I do you like so much. I want to try a new variant on it." _

_Blushing deeply Beverly looked over at Jean-Luc hoping he had not heard Jack's comment. _

_Despite his forty and some years, he looked like a little boy who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar; in trouble and looking for a way out. _"_Please Beverly. I can't show up alone. All those ambassadors and admirals always bring their daughters." He paused to shudder. "They are worse than sharks." He then turned his charm back on: "I need to make an impression. What a better way to impress then show up with the most promising student at Starfleet Medical?"_

_She looked at him sternly: "You do know Jean-Luc Picard that this sweet talking is what got you into trouble in the first place. If you had not talked that girl into having…."_

_Jean-Luc did not let her finish. "I know Beverly, I know… Please. I will owe you one."_

"_Oh will you ever." She answered ….._

Beverly looking at the paused movie said softly: "I was so nervous."

Jean-Luc was taken aback at her comment: Beverly? Nervous? She had been spectacular in those years: young, beautiful, full of grace, already successful in her career. How could she have been nervous?

"Nervous Doctor?"

She had a self depreciative smile: "The Admiralty's ball is the social event of the year Jean-Luc. I was so young back then. I wasn't ready for that. On Arvada, sophistication was surviving another day. On Caldos, it was having supper later than five." She smiled again as she continued: "I was worried about all those forks at dinner."

Jean-Luc was stumped. He of course remembered her hesitation. At the time he had attributed it to her unwillingness to spend an evening with a man twenty years her senior and more importantly away from a husband she seldom saw. He had been so in awe of her that never he would have imagined her lacking in self confidence. Deanna brought him back to the present.

"Hit PLAY Will. I want to hear what the Captain has to say for himself."

The movie started rolling again and the senior staff snickered as they saw a young pretty journalist stop the couple on their way inside the ballroom.

"Ah Ladies and Gentlemen, here we have the dashing captain of the Stargazer with…?" She lifted flirty eyes to the captain as she put the microphone up to his face, totally ignoring his escort.

Jean-Luc looked deeply into the young journalist's eyes as he smoothly answered: "I am afraid an old crusty bachelor like me had to beg his First Officer the loan of his wife for the evening." He turned to Beverly. "Let me introduce Ensign Crusher, the hope of Starfleet Medical." The young journalist barely acknowledged Beverly as she openly flirted with the Captain.

Jean-Luc absently looked at the movie as his mind drifted back twenty years….

_They walked into the ball room and he heard Beverly snicker beside him: "Gee Jean-Luc, maybe if you turned it off once in a while, you wouldn't get into so much trouble."_

_He turned to her and asked innocently: "Whatever to do you mean Beverly?" _

_She gently hit him on the shoulder as she replied: "Just promise, not to take Jack with you when you're on the prowl. I don't want him tempted."_

"_You have nothing to worry about on that account Beverly. He stopped for a second. "And if for some stupid reason, he would be tempted, you can bet your life…."_

_Beverly squeezed his arm: "Jean-Luc. Stop. I'm teasing you. I trust Jack." She smiled as she started to drag him to the dance floor: "Come on, let's dance."_

_Jean-Luc valiantly tried to object: "Beverly….."_

_She totally ignored his objections and dragged him to the dance floor. To his surprise, he started to enjoy himself. He was again reminded how much he loved her company. Her dry senses of humour combined with her quick wit were quickly turning a boring evening into a memorable one. They'd been discussing Captain Ross. The Captain Ross, who never failed to mention that he captained the biggest ship in the fleet. _

"_You know what they say Jean-Luc, big ship, small dic….." _

_Jean-Luc stopped her with an indulgent smile: "Beverly…. He is a Starship Captain after all. A bit of respect."_

_She smirked at him: "I'll let you know Jean-Luc Picard that I have some empirical evidence to support that statement."_

"_Oh you do, do you?"_

_With a straight face she answered back: "I gave him his medical this year."_

Deanna could not contain her laughter: "Really you did?"

By now Beverly was laughing so hard that tears were running down her cheeks: "You should have seen his face when he realized that Jean-Luc's date was the young medical resident who had "seen it all" earlier that week."

Jean-Luc dead panned: "He avoided us all evening."

Once the laughter died down, they resumed the movie. Jean-Luc and Beverly were seen a few more times and Will could not stop himself from asking: "What happened on those years Sir? More scheduling problems with your escorts again?"

Jean-Luc was sure he would never share, even with these close friends, the pleasure he got from having Beverly Crusher on his arm, even back when she had been his best friend's wife. The Captain shrugged: "It was much simpler that way. Real dates seemed to attach much significance to an invitation to the Admiralty ball. More than I did anyway."

He suddenly became quiet as Beverly showed up again, but this time with Walker Keel. He looked at the caption. It was the year after Jack died; the first of ten years Captain Jean-Luc Picard spent avoiding the widowed Beverly Crusher.

Deanna braced herself. Jack's death was sure to bring storms. But instead of raging seas, it was small ripples of sadness over a clear lake that Deanna felt. The Counsellor changed the topic not allowing their sadness to take root. "I'm curious sir. What did you end up having to do for ruining their afternoon?"

He looked at Beverly: "A pound of flesh Counsellor. A pound of flesh."

Beverly blushed. Jean-Luc stayed silent as he looked at Beverly with a small smile.

Will sensed a story. "What did you have to do Sir?"

Jean-Luc looked at her again, silently asking for her permission. She looked around the room at the expectant faces for her friends, and gave up: "Oh go on ahead then. Tell them"

It was a challenge to keep the glee out of his voice but he managed it. He was still their Captain after all. "Oh, I only had to make up lame excuses to keep my ship docked at Starbase 12 for two extra days while I waited for a young Ensign to join her husband for a fortnight of debauchery."

Beverly's blush deepened: "Debauchery, hardly that Jean-Luc."

Jean-Luc would not back down: "I stand by that word Doctor. " He paused to give more weight to his next statement: "Until you spent that time on board, I never realized how thin those cabin walls were. Never did two weeks drag on for so long."

They all looked at Beverly for clarification. "Jack's cabin was beside Jean-Luc's." she admitted.

Geordie choked on his drink. Deanna was laughing so much she could hardly catch her breath. If it was even possible, Will's smile even got bigger. Even Worf let his lips curl up. Data just tilted his head.

Jean-Luc decided that he liked teasing Beverly Crusher. He continued. "And never mind the torpedo bay, the shuttle bay, the …." He stopped. Telling this crowd that he had caught Jack and Beverly on the bridge was not something he could do. No matter how close one became on a ship, some lines could not be crossed, some stories should not be shared. Beverly and her husband making love on the captain's chair in the middle of a night shift was one of those prohibited things. While he had envied Jack his happiness, he had never been jealous of his friend until that night; catching them together on his chair, on his bridge, on his ship, had been too much. For the first time, he had been jealous, deeply envious of his best friend. Was it over the Stargazer or over Beverly? He had found it safer not to answer that question.

Jean-Luc found himself back on the Stargazer's bridge…..

_Picard was sitting in his chair when his comm officer spoke up: "Incoming call for you Sir. It's from Starfleet Medical."_

_Jean-Luc turned around: "Medical? For me? Not for our CMO, Ensign?"_

_The young officer confirmed: "No Sir. For you. They even requested a private channel Sir."_

_Jean-Luc was even more surprised. He got up: "Send it to my ready room Ensign."_

_He made his way over and immediately answered the call. Beverly Crusher's face came on. He could not hide his surprise._

"_Beverly. How unexpected. I'm afraid Jack is not on the bridge."_

_She shook her head: "It's you I wanted to talk to Jean-Luc." _

_Jean-Luc could not stop the small rush of pleasure the words gave him. _

"_Me, Beverly? What can I help you with?"_

_The calculating teasing look that came to her face should have triggered his own internal red alert: "You can pay up Captain?"_

_He swallowed: "Pay up?" he asked._

"_Yes my dear Captain. You can pay up. Remember the Admiralty ball?"_

_Yes of course. Months had passed and he had hoped that she had forgotten about his debt. He took a long breath in: "What can I do for you Beverly?"_

"_You can hold your ship at SB12 for 48 hours to give my transport time to get there. I have a short break. I want to spend that time with Jack on the Stargazer."_

"_Beverly. One does not keep one's ship docked for nothing for two days." _

_A determined look came on her face. She leaned closer to the screen._

"_Jean-Luc. You owe me." She paused and looked at him; waiting him out. Jean-Luc was a man of honour. She knew it, but piling on a bit more would not hurt. "I've not seen Jack for eight months and with his schedule, it'll be a year before we see each other again." _

_He leaned back in his chair and pondered it for a few moments. He looked up. He shouldn't have. Even light years away, and through a communication channel, one look from her was his undoing._

"_Very well Beverly, but don't expect me to give Jack time off while you're here. He'll be on the schedule like all the other bridge officers."_

_The joy that came to her face was all the thanks he needed: "You won't regret this Jean-Luc. I promise."_

_A month later, Jean-Luc Picard deeply regretted his decision. The very obvious noises coming from his neighbour's cabin had finally ceased. He had barely gotten through the first section of his report when it started again. He lifted his eyes to the shared wall and swore: "Merde! Not again." He angrily got up, gathered the padds and left his cabin. He grumbled under his breath as he made his way to the bridge. The bridge crew knew better than to say anything when he was in that mood. He stormed into his ready room without saying a word. Several hours later, the report finished, he was at loose end. His ready room was a dingy little space. Going back to his cabin was not an option as Jack's shift wasn't due to start for another four hours. He grabbed one of his books and made his way to the lounge. It was the middle of the ship's night, it should be empty. It boasted the largest viewport of the whole ship and it definitively was more appealing than having to listen to the amorous activities of his neighbours. He walked into the lounge and was surprised to see it occupied. She was sitting at a table with a stack of padds, obviously studying. Jean-Luc tried to leave, but she had already noticed him._

"_Jean-Luc, please. Don't leave on my account. Sit down. Chat with me. I've been studying for hours. I need a break. "_

_He grabbed a tea from the replicator before sitting down. Beverly leaned back, bent one of her long legs and rested her foot on the edge of her chair. He could not stop himself from wondering how big a part her obvious flexibility played in her and Jack's bedroom exploits. Ashamed at where his mind had drifted, he picked up one of her padds. He was surprised by what he saw. He'd expected medical jargon, but instead found command stream material._

"_Command courses Beverly?" he asked._

_She blushed and took a sip of coffee to buy some time. _

"_CMOs are automatically given the rank of commander. I don't want mine to be honorific. I want it to be real." She explained, a bit ashamed to admit to such high ambitions._

_Jean-Luc took a moment to answer: "CMO? You're already thinking of that?"_

_She lifted her chin in defiance: "Don't tell me you weren't thinking of being captain when you were an ensign." she challenged._

_She had him there. He lifted his tea cup in a small toast: "Touché Ensign. Touché."_

_She relaxed and tried to explain: "The galaxy class ships are well under way Jean-Luc. Families, children will be allowed on board. Jack and I, we're sacrificing a lot right now." She paused, lost in her thoughts for a second. "We spend so much time apart. Wesley will be nearly two years old next time he sees his father. I don't want all this sacrifice to be for nothing. With Wesley, I won't be able to spend much time on starships. I need to stack the odds in my favour some other way. This." she stopped to pick up one of the padds. "…..is part of the plan. I won't have a lot of starship time, but I will be a bona fide commander."_

_He had always thought that Jack was the ambitious one of the two. He'd been wrong. He had never realized until now how strong willed she was. He had no doubts she would succeed. He chuckled as a thought crossed his mind. "What?" she asked._

"_I just realized that the future of Starfleet lies with officers like Jack and you, not old dinosaurs like me." At the questioning look on her face, he elaborated._

"_Starfleet just announced that the next flagship will be galaxy type. Young power couples like Jack and you is what they have in mind for that ship Beverly, not crusty old bachelors like me. It's more than ten years in the future, but mark my words, you'll be the CMO and Jack her captain."_

"_The flagship, Jean-Luc?" she asked. "Even I do not have such lofty ambitions. I just want a ship where Jack and I can be together with our children."_

_Jean-Luc looked up, startled at her last word: "Children? Are you..? He hesitated as he looked down at her belly. It took her a few seconds for her to get his meaning. _

_She laughed: "No.. No.. I just meant…. We do want another child, but we want to wait a few years. I want to be done residency first. I'll never get it finished if I keep stopping to have kids." She joked. _

_It was then her turn to be pensive. She leaned in and touched his hand for a second. "You shouldn't immediately eliminate yourself from having a family Jean-Luc. You're young, barely in your forties. You have all the time in the world to meet someone and have children."_

_He shook his head negatively. "I don't think so Beverly. It takes a special kind of woman to do what you're doing." For a moment, he forgot himself, left his guard down and looked deeply into her eyes._

"_Does it? She whispered._

"_Yes. It does." He answered back softly._

Twenty years later, he still could not stop himself from again drowning himself into her eyes.

"Oh. Here is our sophisticated couple again." Shouted Will.

Both Beverly and Jean-Luc looked up to see themselves once more. The images were just a few years old, their third year on the Enterprise. By then, Jean-Luc had never even considered asking anyone else.

The movie finally ended and slowly one by one, the senior staff made their way out of Will's cabin. Deanna stayed around to help him clean up. He turned to the Counsellor.

"Well that was fun. Don't you think?"

Deanna shook her head: "You are positively machiavellian Will Riker. You knew exactly what was in that movie, didn't you?"

A large grin came to his face: "Why do you think I even had it? My friend at Starfleet Command noticed how prominent a role they both had in it. He thought it wise that they see it before it got released. I offered to help. Nobody said, I couldn't have a bit of fun with it." His face took a more serious look. "You know Deanna, I always forget how long they've known each other."

"Or how well they knew each other back then." she continued.

"Those were quite the stories, weren't they?" Will asked. "His date catching him in bed with a floozy."

"And Bev and Jack going at it like rabbits all over the Stargazer." She continued. Will and Deanna both bust out laughing.

* * *

The next morning when Beverly showed up for breakfast, she sat on the couch next to him. They both ate silently for several minutes. Beverly was the first to speak. "Last night, despite all the embarrassing details, that was fun wasn't it?"

He filled her coffee cup: "I thought so." That was one thing Kesprytt had achieved for them. Finally after these years, they were now able to reminisce and talk about their shared past without guilt and blame.

She took a sip: "The Admiralty ball? Are you going this year?"

He put jam on his croissant: "I am yes."

She reached over for a croissant of her own: "I should look for a dress then?"

He stirred some milk to his coffee: "You always look beautiful Beverly."

She put her plate down, turned his head towards hers and leaned towards him giving him a kiss. A kiss that was nothing like the friendly pecks they had exchanged in the past. Her lips gently caressed his for a few seconds. Finally she moved away licking her fingers and using them to clean his mouth: "You taste of strawberry jam and coffee."

She got up and started walking towards the door: "I'll see you at the staff meeting."

She stopped just before the door and hesitated a few seconds before taking something out of her pocket. It was a small book. She walked back to Jean-Luc and offered it to him.

"Remember this?" she asked

The Captain look at the book: "The Little Prince." I gave it to Wesley when he turned four." He turned the small book around. It was worn. A gentle smile came to his lips.

"It's been well read I see."

Beverly chuckled: "Not by Wesley I'm afraid. He never took to it. Not enough engineering in it I suppose. I always liked it and Wesley gave it to me when he left."

She paused, then with shyness in her voice. "I thought you might want to reread the part where the Fox explains to the Little Prince how he should tame him." She lifted her head to look him directly in the eyes: "The patience, the responsibilities"

Jean-Luc lifted his hand to gently touch her cheek: "And the rewards."

She leaned into his hand for a few seconds before gently untangling herself and turning around. With a gentle smile on his face, Captain Jean-Luc Picard looked at his departing CMO.

Jean-Luc Picard was nothing if not a patient man. This year was too soon, but maybe next year it will be his wife he will be escorting at the Admiralty ball.


	2. Beverly, books and betrothals

"_Of course I'll hurt you. Of course you"ll hurt me. Of course we will hurt each other, but this is the very condition of existence. To become Spring means accepting the risk of Winter. To become presence means accepting the risk of absence."_

The Little Prince - Antoine de St-Exupéry

_3\. Several weeks later..._

Jean-Luc looked at the small book in his hand.

One morning, weeks ago, she had left it in his cabin. Since then, breakfasts had not changed much. They had always been intimate affairs after all. But now she lingered longer after dinner. Her kisses, while still friendly were now infused with something more - more than before, but less than he wanted.

Why she had chosen that book, at first, he had been at a lost to know. Years ago, when he had read it as a child, it had spoken to him of stars, of travel, of discovery, making it the perfect gift for the precautious son of his best friend. Not best friend, but best friends, the friendship by then extending to Jack's wife.

Jack's wife – Beverly - the same woman who had returned the book to him fifteen years later. He read it again then; the first time since childhood, and saw what she saw, what he had failed to see before. Saw the tale of love, of being loved, of the responsibilities of loving and he had understood. She was ready, still afraid, but ready.

He had it all planned. She was on a day off. He had traded his duty shift with Will to also be free. Now he only had to wait for her -wait, look at the small book.

* * *

Jean-Luc gently turned the page of the old atlas. Over 300 years old - how it had made its way to this far flung colony, he had not a clue.

A voice pulled him of his contemplation: "You done yet Johnny? If we don't hurry, we'll miss the first set."

Without even looking up Jean-Luc answered: "Those Orion dancers will be there all night Jack. Don't worry, we'll get there." The Captain looked up with a smile and gestured to the row of books. "Look around, you may even find something you like here."

Jack rolled up his eyes - something he would never do on the ship. Johnny was his captain after all. "I seriously doubt it. I don't get this fascination you have with these dusty old things Johnny. I even bet some of the dust is unhealthy. I'll ask Beverly next time I talk..."

Jean-Luc stopped listening and turned his attention back to his book. In the last few months, since Jack's return from his half year course on Earth, he had learned to tune out Jack's long Beverly monologues. At first, he'd been madly amused at how smitten his friend was, but now months later, with no signs of lessening, Jean-Luc was beginning to wonder how serious this was becoming.

After a while, Jack stopped talking and Jean-Luc looked up to find his friend engrossed in a book. Maybe he had finally found something to take his mind off that Ensign. As he made his way to the counter to pay he tapped his friend on the back: "Coming Jack? I'm done here."

Crusher half ignored him as he continued to gaze at the book. Curious, Jean-Luc walked over to see what Jack was so enthralled with. Jack looked up with a pensive smile.

"I'm thinking of buying this and sending it to Beverly."

Jean-Luc looked at the title: "How to Advance your Career Through Marriage." Immediately understanding, he put his hand on his friend's shoulder: "Are you sure about this Jack?"

Jack took a long breath: "I think so." At his friend's questioning look, he confirmed: "I know so."

They never made it to the Orion dancers.

Jean-Luc's first drink was spent watching Jack finger the book silently. Only when Jean-Luc put their second drink in front of them did Jack start talking.

"She's so young Johnny, ten years younger than me. Do you think I'm making a mistake?"

Jean-Luc laughed silently. Asking him, Jean-Luc Picard, for marriage advice was like trying to discourse philantropy with a Ferengi - a very limited source of insight, but his experience did allow to voice one single piece of advice.

"Never mind Beverlyfor now Jack. How about you? Are you sure you want thi? Because if you're not, you'll end up hurting her... and feel rotten about it for years along with it."

Jack knew his friend enough to realize that Jean-Luc was speaking of experience: "You?"

Jean-Luc looked at the drink in his hand: "When I had that assignment in Paris a few years ago. I met someone, made promises and then just left."

"Do you regret it?"

Jean-Luc laughed softly: "Regret leaving her like that? Of course I do. She deserved better."

He paused: "Regret not staying and marrying her? That I don't. She was very much grounded - wanted a husband who came home each night. It wouldn't have worked. I just wished I'd had the courage to tell her myself."

He leaned back in his chair and took another swallow of this drink: "Not one of my proudest moments Jack. I'm not the best person to give advice on this sort of things. Jenice was as close as I ever got to commitment and see how much I fouled it up. All I can say is, do this only you're sure. Don't be an ass like I was."

As Jack lost himself in his thoughts, Jean-Luc looked at his friend. He'd met the younger man ten years ago when, as a young pilot on his first assignment after the academy, he had crashed the shuttle Jean-Luc had been a passenger on onto a bare inhabited planet. No mistake had been made, just bad mechanics, but Jack had felt responsible. His resiliency, intelligence and pure pig headed determination to survive had convinced Jean-Luc that the young officer was someone he wanted on his ship, and after a month alone with him on that planet, someone he also wanted as a friend. A friend who ten years later had grown into what Jean-Luc imagined a younger brother to be.

Now this younger brother was considering marriage. Jean-Luc only hoped he would like this Beverly.

A month later when he finally met her, he realized he liked her well enough, too well if the truth be told.

* * *

It was so small, so innocuous that she nearly didn't notice it, and then she did.

The book she had given him weeks ago, there it was, lying innocently on the coffee table. A book that spoke of stars, of friendship, of love, of patience. It had been her way of telling him she was ready to further their relationship - hopelessly inadequate in terms of clarity of course, but after twenty years, how does one finally tell one's best friend she wants more?

He saw her notice it then lift her eyes to meet his. She took his offered hand and sat down beside him. It was a good place to be - beside him.

"I'm not the young girl I used to be Jean-Luc. This won't be easy. We'll have to take it slow."

"I've waited a long time Beverly. I'm used to slow."

"Anybody else would have given up on me."

Jean-Luc wasn't anybody else. He hadn't been for a long time, if ever. Those long ago stirrings, when they had first met over twenty years ago, they had been easy to ignore then. She had been so in love with Jack. But with Jack gone, they had stood there between them: loud, glaring, needing attention. Attention she couldn't give yet, so new a widow she was. He left, and she hadn't stopped him.

"I want it slow Jean-Luc, but I want it all: marriage, children."

He didn't hesitate. Why she thought he might, she didn't know.

"As do I Beverly, I always have."

"We'll fight. I'll march out." Her hand gently touched his cheek.

His eyes crinckled in smile: "I'd be disapointed if we didn't"

"Work will surely seperate us at some point."

"I'll start hoarding my sub-space call credits today."

He ran his hand through her hair, what he would have done hesitanly just a day ago felt right today. She leaned into him: "I'd like to keep it quiet for a while. Do you think we can?"

He laughed softly. "Beverly. Even now there are nights you are here past midnight, and then back for breakfast. I doubt anybody will notice if you spend the night."

A few weeks later Deanna, on an evening bridge duty shift, called the captain's cabin late one evening and didn't even batt an eye when the doctor answered the hail so used was she at finding the captain and doctor together.

It took the empath months to figure it out.


End file.
